Da Terra means of the Earth and is a sleek modern restaurant under Chef Rafael Cagali in the Town Hall Hotel building in Bethnal Green.  Two rooms have large round tables covered with elasticated tablecloths with art on the walls.  Music was in the background, sound panels are on the ceiling and a finishing kitchen is on the end of one room (main kitchen downstairs).  Decorations vary but you’ll see lots of Mutant Ninja Turtle characters, one of which shares a name with the chef.  According to our server chef was teased about his chubby cheeks as a child in São Paulo and nicknamed ‘turtle’.  Then the Turtle characters came out and a friend sent him a Rafael and it took off from there.  He opened Da Terra in 2019 and within 8 months it had its first Michelin star.  They were awarded the Second Star in 2021.  The restaurant offers a blind tasting for which you will receive a menu at the end.  At lunch, they offer a slightly shorter tasting and we chose that avenue.  It was a lovely meal with fantastic, welcoming service and very artful beautiful food.  Chef Cagali was there and brought out several courses, explaining the culinary connections to his upbringing in Brazil adapted for Britain. Continue reading →